Introduction
The typical wastewater treatment plant depends on microorganisms in the wastewater to decompose waste. These microorganisms are primarily aerobic, so they use up oxygen as they break down organic matter. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand, or BOD, is the amount of dissolved oxygen which is used up by these microorganisms and is roughly equivalent to the amount of "food" (organic matter) found in the wastewater. The more "food" that is present in the water, the more DO will be used up by the bacteria and the greater the BOD reading will be.
A major disadvantage of the BOD test is that results are not available for 5 days. Nevertheless, BOD tests are an integral part of the wastewater operator's repertoire. Wastewater treatment plants use BOD as an estimate of the waste load in the influent water. They can also test BOD of the effluent to determine the plant's efficiency, to control plant processes, and to determine the effects of discharges on receiving waters.
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